HOUSTON (KXAN) – Officials and the extended family of a Texas family of five killed Thursday in Leon County spoke Friday in Houston.
The names of the five people killed were released during the news conference. Mark Collins, 66, was the grandfather to brothers Waylon Collins, 18, Carson Collins, 16, 11-year-old Hudson Collins and their cousin Bryson Collins, 11.
Steve Bezner, the senior pastor of Houston Northwest Church, said there were currently no details for the funeral services, but the church would post details on its social media feeds when they are available.
David Crain, a longtime friend of the Collins family and law enforcement member said these next few days were going to be hard.
“We suffered a loss — it’s going to be unfillable,” Crain said.
The Collins family shared photos of Mark and the four grandsons.
Law enforcement believed the man responsible for the killings was an escaped convict.
Texas capital murder inmate Gonzalo Lopez, 46, escaped from a prison transport bus May 12. Lopez was on the bus with 15 other inmates and two guards on their way from Gatesville to Huntsville, Texas, when he got free from his restraints and assaulted the guards.
Thursday evening, law enforcement used spike strips to disable the stolen pickup truck Lopez was driving, and he crashed. Lopez was shot and killed by law enforcement after he began firing at the responding officials.
Jason Clark, the chief of staff for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, said Lopez had an AR-15 rifle and a pistol in his possession.
In a statement Thursday evening, Clark said there was evidence to suspect Lopez’s involvement in Thursday’s murders
Lopez was previously added to the Texas 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List in May.